{"id":792,"date":"2022-04-21T20:17:01","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T00:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/?p=792"},"modified":"2022-04-22T21:29:36","modified_gmt":"2022-04-23T01:29:36","slug":"you-could-drive-a-person-crazy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/2022\/04\/21\/you-could-drive-a-person-crazy\/","title":{"rendered":"You Could Drive a Person Crazy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bethesda Little Theatre presents an original musical revue featuring songs from all the Broadway shows you\u2019ve been wishing you could see in one night but couldn\u2019t… until now. Come From Away, Six, Dear Evan Hansen, Chicago, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Company, Hadestown, Hamilton, and more. We even have some side trips to some of the wonderful music clubs Times Square has to offer. Don\u2019t miss your chance to see numbers from some of the hottest shows on Times Square! A Night Out on Times Square<\/em>, our new original production running June 10, 11, 12 and 17, 18, 19 at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center. (For tickets and more information click here: blt-online.org<\/a> or call 202-796-3431.) In our blog series \u201cInside the Numbers\u201d we take you backstage with the performers to discuss a sampling of the songs they\u2019ll be presenting; today we\u2019re going to explore how the guys are doing with their take on “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” from Company <\/em>by Stephen Sondheim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As a song that was originally sung by women but flipped in the revival, how fun is it to sing this Andrews sisters-style song?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aref: <\/strong>Hilarious. Most funny of all if folks in the audience don\u2019t even get that it\u2019s gender bender, IF we sing with conviction! Women drive men crazy all the time: the whole premise behind \u201cI Love Lucy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note from the editor: except now you all know because you\u2019ve gotten a sneak peek!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justin: <\/strong>I love Sondheim and The Andrews Sisters, so it\u2019s a perfect combination. And, it is really fun to sing this with Martin and Aref.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin: <\/strong>If you’re accustomed to hearing songs a specific way, gender swapping can make learning lyrics more difficult.  But, it can also add a whole other level with different, and sometimes more provocative, interpretations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This song is quintessential Sondheim with a lot of words that come quickly, coupled with tight harmonies that are relentless, what\u2019s the hardest part of learning it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note from the editor: thankfully these guys all have previous experience with Sondheim!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin: <\/strong>The close harmonies are very difficult. When you couple that with choreography and the Andrews Sisters, it becomes challenging. But Sondheim frequently is challenging.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aref: <\/strong>Zero problem for me as I performed in a production of \u201cCompany\u201d many years ago, where Musical Director Jeff Hayes actually watched to cheer me on. In this song, I have the melody line, so I find it super easy to learn, something all sopranos take for granted. \ud83d\ude09 I feel sympathy for the other guys in the trio; it\u2019s Sondheim!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justin: <\/strong>The words aren\u2019t that hard. I sang \u201cPutting It Together\u201d from Sunday in the Park with George<\/em> a few years back (which I have never recovered from), so this will be far easier.  For me, the hard part will be the harmonies. I\u2019ll get it, eventually.  The other two singers and Jeff will need to be patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These boyfriends have a lot to say about their girlfriend, Bobbi. Does this song remind you of any previous relationships?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justin<\/strong>: Oy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note from the editor: maybe if you get lucky, Justin will share more of his experiences after a show if you can catch him in the lobby!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin:  <\/strong>Although the song doesn’t really remind me of any of my relationships, I am similar to the main character Bobby in that I am a single person who has navigated the dating arena.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aref: <\/strong>Um, um, the song reminds me of a lot of  relationships where, um, um, I was the Bobby. I have driven my share of women crazy\u2026when I was living my life as a straight man. (Sorry, ladies!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Have you seen the revival? How fun is the gender swapping and does it help make the show more relevant today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justin: <\/strong>I have not seen the revival. I don\u2019t think the gender swap makes it any more or less relevant. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aref: <\/strong>I have not seen the revival but what I think would be a really fun gender bender would be my other song in the production – the heavy testosterone song \u201cAll I Ask of You\u201d from \u201cPhantom.\u201d I would be the tormented opera singer, where I seek comfort in the arms of\u2026Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin: <\/strong>My final year of college, I actually played Bobby in Company.  I have also seen the original production as well as the revival.  To be honest, I think the show works better with the lead being a male.  The songs and the message ring truer for me that way. That said, I love to gender swap songs. It gives an artist so much more material and awards them with new possibilities and limitless interpretations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could drive a person crazy<\/em><\/p>

You could drive a person mad<\/em><\/p>

First you make a person hazy<\/em><\/p>

So a person could be had<\/em><\/p>– Stephen Sondheim<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Anything else you\u2019d like to add?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aref: <\/strong>This song is an interesting choice for gender bender as it is so Andrews Sisters. Wouldn\u2019t it be fun to add some boy band style choreography?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note from the editor: we can\u2019t give away *all* our secrets\u2026guess you\u2019ll have to come see for yourself if the choreographer for this number worked in any boy band moves!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justin: <\/strong>It will be fun to do.  Hopefully, the blocking will not be difficult!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bethesda Little Theatre presents an original musical revue featuring songs from all the Broadway shows you\u2019ve been wishing you could see in one night but couldn\u2019t… until now. Come From Away, Six, Dear Evan Hansen, Chicago, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Company, Hadestown, Hamilton, and more. We even have some side trips to some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=792"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":797,"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792\/revisions\/797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blt-online.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}